1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personal computer (PC) cards and, more particularly, to PC cards for use in combination with personal computers for collecting biological data on a real-time basis.
2. Description of Related Art
The United States health care system is currently in the midst of a transformation away from specialized medicine toward a more cost-conscious, primary-care oriented system. Devices having cost-effective means for diagnosing and monitoring patients are expected to gain prominence in the market place. Many current data acquisition devices exist in the medical industry, but few, if any, of these devices are economical, extremely lightweight and portable, accurate, versatile, and interchangeable with other biological data collection devices.
One prior art device, manufactured by the assignee of the present application, incorporates a diagnostic box which is adapted to interface with a serial port of a personal computer. This diagnostic box is manufactured with a relatively expensive housing, having a size approximately equal to that of a book, an alternating current (AC) chord and power adapter, a serial port cable, a microprocessor, and other hardware elements.
The diagnostic box allows a user to perform real-time spirometry operations, while harnessing the PC compute""s display, keyboard, printer, and other items. The PC computer display instructs the user with selectable patient incentives, and user-customized reports can be generated. The display of the personal computer can be configured to display volume-versus-time and flow-versus-volume curves. Additionally, parameters such as maximum exhale volume, maximum inhale volume and maximum flow rate can be computed and displayed on the personal computer display.
Data acquisition cards have existed in the prior art for transferring electrical signals from a data sensor through the data acquisition card and into a personal computer. These data acquisitions cards have been configured into Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards.
Prior art data acquisition cards are often configured to measure potential signals ranging from zero to ten volts, and are often configured with twelve bit accuracy. A typical prior art data acquisition card may comprise a 30 pin connector and a cable, which is connected to a connector board. The connector board allows a user to hook up various signals thereto. In addition to the relatively high-voltage signal range (zero to ten volts), low-accuracy (e.g. twelve bits), extra hardware (30 pin connector, cable, and a connector board), and additional optional hardware, these prior art data acquisition cards are configured with a plurality of inputs and outputs and, further, are not adapted to convert a personal computer into a powerful biological data signal collecting, processing, and monitoring system.
Prior art data acquisition cards are not adapted for performing spirometry collection and analysis, since these cards are not equipped with pressure transducers for converting pressure signals into electrical signals. Even if these prior art data acquisition cards were equipped with pressure transducers, the cards would not be equipped with high-precision low-voltage signal collection and conditioning circuitry. A prior art data acquisition card, additionally, would not be suitable for other biological data collection and processing purposes, such as Electrocardiography (ECG) biological data collection, since these prior art data acquisition cards are not equipped with any insulating means for insulating a patient from potential shock, which may be delivered from the data acquisition card to the patient.
Another prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,115 to Morgan et al. The Morgan et al. patent generally discloses a PCMCIA format card which is adapted to perform as a data storage device, similarly to a floppy disc storage device. The PCMCIA format cart of Morgan et al. is equipped with a real-time clock for providing time and date data to the host system, in order to synchronize the host system time with the time of which the data was actually acquired. The PCMCIA format card of Morgan et al. does not provide any means for real-time data collection and processing and, accordingly, is not suitable for converting a host PC computer into a real-time biological data signal collection, processing, and monitoring-system. The system of the Morgan et al. patent requires a separate dedicated computer device for acquiring the data, and-a separate personal computer device for processing the data at a later time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,432 to Thomson discloses a spirometer which includes control electronics located remotely from a hand-held housing. Communication between the hand-held housing, which includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and an amplifier, occurs through a cable. A dedicated microprocessor including a simple keyboard structured and adapted specifically to control the operation of a spirometer is included in the Thomson device. The handle-shaped housing of the Thomson patent is quite different from a PC card.
A need exists in the prior art for real-time biological data signal collecting, processing, and monitoring systems, which are extremely lightweight and portable. The prior art has not introduced any cost-effective PC card, which is adapted to convert a host personal computer into any of a variety of real-time data collecting and processing systems.
The real-time biological data processing PC card of the present invention is very lightweight, cost effective, and portable. The real-time biological data processing PC card of the present invention is capable of converting a host personal computer system into a powerful diagnostic instrument. Each real-time biological data processing PC card is adapted to input and process biological data from one or more biological data sensors, and is interchangeable with other real-time biological data processing PC cards. A practitioner having three different real-time biological data processing PC cards, each one corresponding to a different biological data collection device, effectively carries three full-sized, powerful diagnostic instruments. The full resources of a host personal computer may be utilized and converted into a powerful diagnostic instrument, for each biological data collection device, by the insertion of one of the real-time biological data processing PC cards.
A portable computer card for collecting biological data, according to the present invention, includes a pressure transducer adapted to receive an air pressure from an air tube and to convert the air pressure into an electrical signal. The portable computer card includes an analog-to-digital converter adapted to receive and digitize the electrical signal, and a portable computer card interface adapted to provide an interface between the portable computer card and a host microprocessor system. The portable computer card interface may comprise a PCMCIA card interface. An amplifier, which is adapted to receive and amplify the electrical signal from the pressure transducer, is disposed between the pressure transducer and the analog-to-digital converter. The amplified electrical signal is related to the air pressure. The portable computer card further includes a housing, which is adapted for holding the pressure transducer, the amplifier, the analog-to-digital converter, and the portable computer card interface. A pressure input port is disposed on the housing. This pressure input port is in fluid communication with the pressure transducer and is adapted to receive an air pressure from an air tube. The portable computer card further includes a flexible air passageway, which is integrally connected to the housing, and which is adapted to supply an air pressure to the pressure input port.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a portable biological data collection device includes a portable computer card housing, a biological data receiver, signal conditioning circuitry, and a portable computer card interface. The biological data receiver is adapted to receive biological data and to output the biological data, and the signal conditioning circuitry is adapted to receive the biological data from the biological data receiver and to convert the biological data into digitized biological data. The portable computer card interface is disposed within the portable computer card housing, and is adapted to communicate with a host computer to relay the digitized biological data to the host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is converted by the signal conditioning circuitry.
The biological data receiver can be adapted to receive biological data from a pulse oximetry sensor, which is located externally of the portable biological data collection device. The biological data receiver can further be adapted to receive biological data from an ECG sensor. The biological data sensor is adapted to output low-amplitude signals on an order of one millivolt. The digitized data from the analog-to-digital converter preferably has a resolution greater than 12 bits and, preferably, has a resolution of 16 bits. The biological data sensor may further include a spirometer air tube.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a host computer is configurable among a plurality of biological data collection device modes. The host computer includes a portable computer card slot adapted to receive a portable computer card therein, a portable computer card interface adapted to communicate with a portable computer card inserted into the portable computer card slot, a microprocessor, a data bus, and input means for receiving designation data from a portable computer card within the portable computer card slot. The portable computer card interface is adapted to receive digitized biological data from a portable computer card inserted into the portable computer card slot, and the input means is operatively connected to the microprocessor. The designation data is indicative of a type of digitized biological data from a portable computer card inserted into the portable computer card slot. The designation data may comprise either a first identifier for indicating that the digitized biological data should be interpreted by the microprocessor as spirometer-pressure data or a second identifier indicating that the digitized biological data should be interpreted by the microprocessor as pulse oximetry electrical data. The host computer includes configuration means for configuring the host computer into a real-time spirometer-pressure data collecting and analyzing device upon receipt of the first identifier, and for configuring the host computer into a real-time pulse oximetry electrical data collecting and analyzing device upon receipt of the second identifier. The host computer may also be configured into an ECG data collection device mode, upon receipt of a third identifier from the input means. Additionally, the host computer may be configured among various other biological data collection device modes, upon receipt of additional identifiers.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a combination of a plurality of interchangeable biological data portable computer cards includes a spirometer portable computer card and a pulse oximetry portable computer card. The spirometer portable computer card and the pulse oximetry portable computer card are both insertable into a personal computer system, and are interchangeable. The spirometer portable computer card is adapted to convert the host computer into a spirometer data collecting and analyzing device, and the pulse oximetry portable computer card is adapted to convert the host computer into a pulse oximetry data collecting and analyzing device. The combination of interchangeable biological data portable computer cards may further include an ECG portable card, as well as other computer cards, each being adapted to convert the host personal computer into a different type of biological data collecting and analyzing device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a portable computer card for delivering biological data to a host computer includes a portable computer card housing, at least one conductor connected to the portable computer card housing, an amplifier operatively connected to the at least one conductor, a power source operatively connected to the amplifier, and insulating means for providing electrical insulation between the power source and the conductor. The conductor is adapted to collect biological data from a patient, and the amplifier is adapted to receive the biological data and to output an amplified signal. The insulating means may comprise an optical translator, and can be positioned between the conductor and the amplifier. The portable computer card further includes an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the amplified signal, and a portable computer card interface for providing a communication link between the portable computer card and a host personal computer system. The portable computer card interface is adapted to relay the digitized amplified signal to the host computer on a real-time basis, as biological data is collected from a patient. The power source comprises a conductor, which is adapted for receiving power from the host personal computer.